Blogging reviews of cool places to go and things to do in the Chicago suburbs.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Swanky steak time -- 94 West, Orland Park

The husband and I are not normally fancypants steakhouse sort of people. We appreciate finer dining when we get it, but are not the sort to seek out a restaurant where the average entree is $25 or more.

But when it's Christmas and your in-laws want to take you out for a lovely dinner after Christmas Eve mass, you put on a nice top and go with it.

94 West (15410 94th Ave., Orland Park) is a swanky suburban steakhouse with dim lighting and high prices. It's a special occasion sort of place. I have heard that it didn't use to include much with your meat, and I can see why that would be really off-putting, since the prices are high enough as it is, but entrees now include choice of potato (or veg) and soup or salad, plus complimentary bread and "green noodles" (an Italian-dressing flavored pasta salad heavy on the neon aqua food coloring).

Service was very good and in the two years we've gone for the holidays, there was nothing I ate that wasn't delicious. Besides an assortment of steak choices, they offer shrimp, multiple fish choices prepared to your liking, ribs and chicken.

Last year I had a wonderful mahi mahi with a plate-lickingly good red pepper sauce; this year I stepped it up a notch and ordered a 6 oz filet and shrimp (three HUGE fried shrimp) with a delicious Bearnaise. The filet was cooked perfectly, completely tender and so good. The potato selections are pretty standard (baked, double-baked, fries, sweet potato fries, etc) but done well.

While chances are good we won't be back until/unless it becomes a Christmas Eve tradition, I would recommend 94 West to anyone looking for a fine dining experience in the southwestern suburbs.